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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29567466">You're Not Supposed to Die at Camp, Right?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarikeu/pseuds/sarikeu'>sarikeu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Jurassic Park - All Media Types, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(mostly), Also they're all idiots, Angst, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Except for bumpy :), F/F, F/M, Get ready for a wild ride lol, Idiots in Love, Just campers being soft, M/M, Scary dinosaurs, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:21:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,086</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29567466</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarikeu/pseuds/sarikeu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a semi-retelling of the events from S1 and S2 of Camp Cretaceous. I'm keeping major plot lines, but I'm changing up some stuff and also adding some additional things. Prepare yourselves for lots of emotions, injuries, and of course, dinosaurs. :)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Darius Bowman/Brooklynn, Kenji Kon/Ben Pincus, Yasmina "Yaz" Fadoula/Sammy Gutierrez</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>99</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Welcome to Camp</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Darius comes face to face with a dinosaur and Ben has a hard time falling asleep.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The crash of the waves against the ferry snapped Darius back to reality. He looked around at the other passengers currently on their way to Jurassic World; most were absorbed in their phones, and a few were even dozing off. He wondered which of the kids he could see on the ferry would be attending camp with him.</p><p>As the ferry turned, something caught his eye out the window. <em>The</em> island? Isla Nublar? Darius still couldn't believe this was actually happening. He was actually going to be seeing dinosaurs—his lifelong dream—in just a few minutes... hopefully.</p><p>Even though he didn't know much about the camp he was going to be attending, he was hoping they'd be seeing lots and lots of dinosaurs. He'd tried looking up Camp Cretaceous online, but with it being so new, there was almost no information about it. This didn't faze him though. Instead, he spent the weeks leading up to leaving for camp rereading every single book on dinosaurs he had on his bookshelves, and even made his older brother drive him to the library to do more research.</p><p>Darius was as prepared for this adventure as he would ever be.</p><p>"The ferry will be docking in five minutes," a voice over the intercom said. "Please gather your belongings and be prepared to exit. We hope you have a <em>jurassic</em> time here at Jurassic World."</p><p>Darius was nearly vibrating out of his seat in excitement. He saw the docks drawing closer out the window and stood up, lugging his duffel bag over his shoulder.</p><p>He pushed his way into the aisle, accidentally stepping on a girl's shoe in the process.</p><p>"Oops, sorry!" he rushed. "I didn't see you there."</p><p>"Ow! What the heck?!" The girl stepped back and pushed Darius away from her. She had bright pink hair and was glaring at him, clearly annoyed.</p><p>Darius ran for the front of the ferry, hoping he'd never run into that girl again. The ramp was already connected to the dock, so he flew off the ferry, squealing with excitement when his shoes made contact with the dock. <em>I'm actually standing on Isla Nublar</em>, he thought. <em>This is real!</em></p><p>"Camp Cretaceous campers, over here!"</p><p>Across the dock, and over the heads of the people streaming off of the ferry, Darius could just make out a man waving his arms. He had a loudspeaker in one hand and was wearing a bright red shirt.</p><p>Darius made his way over to the man—probably one of the camp counselors—and was greeted with a big smile.</p><p>"Hey camper!" the man said. "I'm Dave, the head counselor of Camp Cretaceous. The head honcho. The number one."</p><p>Darius was about to introduce himself when he heard laughter behind him. He turned around and saw three girls around his age. His eyes widened in shock when he noticed the pink-haired girl he'd accidentally stepped on back on the ferry, but she was looking down at her phone and hadn't seen him yet. He quickly turned back around and pretended he hadn't seen her, grimacing at the awkwardness of the situation.</p><p>Dave consulted his clipboard and flipped over a page. "Ok kids, let's find out who's here. Let's go around and—"</p><p>"Um, aren't there supposed to be six of us?" came a voice from Darius' right. He looked over to see a scrawny boy crouched near the edge of the dock, looking seasick.</p><p>"Yes, you're absolutely right," Dave said, conducting a quick headcount of the gathered campers. Darius looked around, but didn't see any other kids who looked lost.</p><p>A noise at the end of dock where the dirt road started drew the campers' attention away from Dave. A Jeep pulled up and a woman dressed in the same shirt as Dave hopped out. She pulled off her sunglasses and waved. "Hi campers! I'm Roxie, the head counselor of Camp Cretaceous."</p><p>Darius and the other kids turned back towards Dave, confusion written all over their faces.</p><p>Dave smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "It's more of a co- head counselor situation... ya know," he chuckled nervously.</p><p>Roxie shook her head in exasperation and moved toward Dave, grabbing the clipboard. "Only five campers?" She furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Dave. "Where's number si—"</p><p>Wind suddenly whipped towards their group, a loud noise coming from above. Darius glanced up, his eyes squinted against the strong wind. A helicopter touched down in the grass and the door slid open. A tall boy hopped out and strolled towards them.</p><p>"Let the party commence! Kenji is here!" He threw his bag at Roxie and moved to stand with the campers, only to be knocked over by his bag, which Roxie chucked back at him. Darius rolled his eyes and turned back toward the counselors.</p><p>"Ok, now that we've gotten everyone, let's head to camp! Hop in the back of the Jeep and buckle up, we've got a bit of a ride ahead of us." Roxie waved them towards the Jeep and hopped in the driver's seat, Dave climbing into the passenger seat.</p><p>Darius climbed into the back of the Jeep and sat down in a corner, marveling at the trees and vegetation he could see from his seat.</p><p>The tall boy slid next to him on the bench and the rest of the campers piled in around them, chattering and looking around at the island.</p><p>They started moving once everyone was buckled in, the trees flying past his eyes too fast. He just wanted to glimpse one dinosaur on the ride to camp, was that too much to ask for?</p><p>After it became clear there were no dinosaurs to see, Darius grumpily turned back toward the five campers seated around him. Across from him sat the scrawny boy he'd noticed earlier. The boy's eyes were wide with fear and he was rubbing sanitizer all over his hands. Darius thought it was interesting that he'd choose to attend a summer camp, since he seemed like a complete germaphobe.</p><p>He looked over at the two girls sitting beside the scrawny boy. The girl in the middle was pretty, but she had her mouth drawn in a tight line, with her arms folded. She was wearing a tracksuit of sorts and looked athletic. The girl next to her was smiling at Darius. She extended her hand and Darius shook it.</p><p>"I'm Sammy Gutierrez! I can't believe we're all actually heading to camp, this is so exciting!"</p><p>Darius smiled back and started to say something when another voice interrupted him.</p><p>"Hey Brooklanders! It's ya girl Brooklynn, headed to Camp Cretaceous. Make sure to keep watching, like, and subscribe to see exclusives and behind-the-scenes footage all about Jurassic World!"</p><p>The pink-haired girl—Brooklynn apparently—leaned forward with her phone, shoving it in their faces. Darius rolled his eyes and leaned back, trying to get out of her video.</p><p>"Ok, everyone say your name and a little about yourself so my followers can get to know you," Brooklynn directed, facing the camera towards Sammy.</p><p>"I can't believe this! I'm a total Brooklander," Sammy gushed. "I'm Sammy and my family provides all the meat for the park, so that's how I got here."</p><p>The tall boy next to Darius grabbed Brooklynn's phone and faced it towards himself. "It's Kenji Kon time! My dad's super rich and owns, like, a ton of real estate on this island. I've been here like a kajillion times, so you could say I'm a Jurassic World VIP." He shot a finger gun at the camera and winked.</p><p>Brooklynn groaned and wrenched the phone out of the Kenji's hands, just as the Jeep came to a lurching stop. The campers immediately looked towards the front of the car to see why they were stopped, only for Dave and Roxie to jump out of their seats and into the jungle holding long metal rods, the ends crackling with electricity. “Campers, stay in your seats,” Roxie called. “This is just a routine situation, nothing to worry about.”</p><p>The scrawny boy whimpered and slouched in his seat, like he was trying to disappear. “I knew it,” he groaned. “We’re all going to die.”</p><p>Darius ignored him, unbuckling his seatbelt and standing up, eyes wide as he peered into the jungle. Suddenly, something small catapulted itself out of the trees and onto his chest, knocking him back onto the floor of the car.</p><p>The campers screamed as Darius raised his head slowly to see what had attacked him. A small dinosaur hissed at him and hopped out of the Jeep, only to be caught in a blanket by Roxie. She prodded it into a cat carrier and stowed it inside the Jeep.</p><p>"Sorry about that campers! Those little guys are constantly getting out of their enclosures," Roxie reassured the group.</p><p>Darius, finally realizing what just happened, shot up with glee. "A Compsognathus?! Where did it go? Can I see it?"</p><p>Roxie widened her eyes at his rapid-fire questions. "Looks like you're quite the dino genius, Darius, lovely!" She got back in the driver's seat and started the engine. "We're almost back to camp, so hang in there!"</p><p>Kenji wrapped his arm around Darius' shoulders and pulled him back into his seat. "Looks like we've got ourselves a dino nerd," he teased. Darius shrugged his arm off his shoulder and turned back to the jungle, watching the trees race past as they made their way to camp.</p><p>----</p><p>Ben was not having fun. His heart hadn’t stopped pounding since he’d left home that morning. He’d nearly had a panic attack saying goodbye to his mom, and then to make matters worse, he’d felt seasick the whole ferry ride. Then a few minutes ago, he’d almost been attacked by a dinosaur. He wished he was at home in his bed, curled up with a good book and a cup of cocoa. However, that was unfortunately not the case.</p><p>The gasps of the campers around him broke him out of his reverie. The two girls sitting on his right pushed past him and he groaned. He had just put on sanitizer!</p><p>He looked up and saw why the rest of the campers seemed so excited. A massive treehouse loomed over him, a long elevator running down the large tree trunk to connect with a small patio. He gaped at the massive size of the place and got out of the Jeep, moving to stand behind the other campers who were listening to a speech from Roxie.</p><p>“Ok, everyone up the elevator and to your rooms! Boys’ room on the right and girls’ room on the left,” Dave interjected, earning an eyeroll from Roxie. “Claim a bunk and be back in the main room in five minutes! We’ve got a surprise activity for you all!” He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned.</p><p>The campers bolted toward the elevator, Kenji and Darius pushing each other out of the way. “I call top bunk!”</p><p>“Nope, junior, it’s mine!”</p><p>Ben sighed and trudged after the group, crowding into the elevator and watching Roxie and Dave grow smaller and smaller as they ascended toward the treehouse. The minute the elevator doors opened, the campers rushed to their respective rooms.</p><p>By the time Ben got to the boys’ room, Kenji and Darius had already claimed the top bunks. Ben sighed in relief and placed his bag on the bottom bunk nearest the door, taking out his clothes and placing them in one of the provided dressers.</p><p>He turned toward Kenji and Darius, who were arguing over something, then thought better of himself and left the room, heading back to the main room. Hopefully the other boys would quiet down eventually, or he would never be able to fall asleep. Not like he would be getting much sleep anyways, what with there being killer dinosaurs all over the island. He could feel his heart pounding again and sighed. This was going to be a long two weeks.</p><p>Roxie and Dave gathered the campers and ushered them back into the Jeep, telling everyone that the place they were headed to was a surprise.</p><p>After a short drive, they arrived at the base of a tall tower. Dave waved their group toward the stairs and they began the long climb to the top. With each flight of stairs they ascended, Ben got more and more nervous. Why did they have to go up this tower? What if something happened up there? Why couldn’t they just have stayed back inside?</p><p>Eventually they made it to the top and Ben gasped at the view. Grassy plains and tall trees stretched for miles and miles, and the setting sun cast a golden glow over the island. It was beautiful. He walked towards the railing and looked down. <em>Oh, not a good idea, </em>he thought as his stomach turned nauseous. He backed away from the railing and bumped into someone.</p><p>He shrieked and turned to see Kenji staring down at him. “Oh—oops, sorry,” Ben stuttered out and quickly darted to the other side of the platform. Great, first day and he was already annoying people.</p><p>A hand hitting his shoulder made him shriek again. “Ben, perfect timing!” Dave said. “You’re just in time for our surprise!” Dave reached behind him and pulled a seat towards them, hanging from a wire. “Time to test the zip line! Looks like you’re up first,” he said gleefully.</p><p>Before he knew what was happening, Ben found himself sitting on the seat, a seatbelt around his waist. “Wait, no! No, no, no,” Ben shouted. “Why me first? What about Yasmina? Or Darius? Or anyone?!”</p><p>Dave winked at him and gave him a big push. For a second, Ben felt like he was falling. Wind rushed through his hair and he screwed his eyes shut. After he realized he wasn’t in danger, he cautiously peeked one eye open to see trees flying towards him. He tried to scream, but the wind ripped the air out of his lungs. Twisting around, Ben saw Kenji behind him, whooping and hollering. Ben turned back around and smiled. If everyone else was enjoying this, then he could too.</p><p>He was just starting to enjoy the zip line ride when he felt himself slowing down, the landing platform drawing closer. He relaxed his tight grip on the pole and flexed his fingers, trying to bring back his circulation. He turned around and watched the rest of the campers zip towards him. Maybe camp wouldn’t be completely terrible after all.</p><p>After the ride back to camp, Ben was psyched. It was finally bedtime! He was so tired and just wanted to be unconscious for a few hours so he could forget about how anxious he was. He collapsed in bed and stared at the bunk above him, trying to fall asleep. Unfortunately, calming down was harder than it sounded. Every time he thought maybe he could finally sleep, he remembered that there were dinosaurs everywhere. Big dinosaurs who would probably not hesitate to eat him. Sighing and rolling over, he tried to shake off his worries for what seemed like the thousandth time that night.</p><p>A pair of feet hit the floor, drawing his attenton. He pretended to be asleep while the person moved past him, until they reached the door. Ben cracked open his eyes and saw Darius slip out the door. He wouldn’t have cared much, guessing he was probably just thirsty or had to use the bathroom, but then he heard Kenji climb down to the floor from his bunk. He crept past Ben and slid out the door, heading the same direction Darius had.</p><p>Ben sat up in bed, straining his ears to hear the muffled voices he could hear from the main room. Both Darius and Kenji had still been wearing the same clothes they arrived in this morning; they hadn’t put on pajamas. It was probably nothing, Ben told himself. He laid back in his bed and closed his eyes, only to hear the girls’ door creak open.</p><p>At his wits’ end, Ben got up and crept silently to their door, peeking through the crack. He saw Darius, Kenji, and Brooklynn get into the elevator, smiling conspiratorially like they were up to no good. Ben groaned and headed back to his bed. Great, a bunch of rule-breakers who were going to get in trouble and ruin camp for the rest of them, he thought. Whatever, who cares, he told himself as he laid back in bed and tried to sleep again.</p><p>Suddenly, his eyes shot open. They could be in danger! Who knows what dinosaurs are prowling around the jungle at night? They could get injured, or lost, or—no. He swept all other possibilities from his mind and got out of bed, trudging towards Dave’s room. He knocked on the door and Dave stuck his head out, blinking in the hallway light.</p><p>“Ben, what is it? It’s like two in the morning,” Dave whispered sleepily.</p><p>“Um... I think some of the kids might have snuck out?” Ben looked down at his feet, thinking that maybe he should’ve just ignored Darius, Kenji, and Brooklynn and gone back to bed. They were probably just exploring the treehouse or something stupid.</p><p>“What?!” Dave yelled. He slammed the door shut and ran into the hallway a moment later, dressed in his outfit from earlier. He sprinted down the hallway and around the corner. Ben could hear Roxie’s voice, then a minute later both counselors flew past him and into the elevator.</p><p>“Ben, stay put! We’re going to find them, don’t worry,” Roxie said. Her voice sounded reassuring, though her expression said the exact opposite. The elevator doors closed and left Ben standing in the middle of the main room. He walked back to their room and sat down on the bed. Great, everyone was definitely going to hate him now. <em>Nobody likes a snitch, </em>he thought sourly.</p><p>After what seemed like forever, he heard commotion from the main room. He peeked out the door again and saw Roxie and Dave leave the elevator with Darius, Kenji, and Brooklynn in tow. Roxie motioned for Brooklynn to go back to her room. Ben quickly hopped away from the door, but not before he noticed tears in Brooklynn’s eyes as she walked past. What the hell had happened out there?</p><p>Ben moved back to the crack in the door. Roxie and Dave seemed to be lecturing Darius and Kenji now. Darius looked scared, while Kenji looked bored—almost like he couldn’t care less what the counselors were saying or what kind of trouble he was in. <em>What a jerk,</em> Ben thought.</p><p>The boys stood up and started heading back to their room, the lecturing apparently over, so Ben quietly tiptoed back to his bed and slipped under the covers, pretending to be asleep.</p><p>He heard Kenji and Darius climb back up their bunks, doing a poor job at being quiet. If he hadn’t already been awake, they definitely would’ve woken him up. After a few minutes, he heard both boys’ breathing even out, indicating they’d fallen asleep. Ben sighed and felt a welcome sense calm for the first time that day. Taking advantage of the feeling, he snuggled deeper into his blankets and felt sleep wash over him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi guys, hopefully you enjoyed this first chapter! I'm planning on posting the next chapter sometime tomorrow, so stay tuned :)</p><p>You can find me on tumblr @campfam and also, comments and kudos are appreciated! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Wrong Side</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As Sammy attempts to gather intel for Mantah Corp, Darius and Kenji accidentally walk into a trap.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Filtering rays of sunlight flooded the girls' room, pulling Sammy from her dreams. She blinked slowly and rolled over to look out the window. The jungle was shrouded in early morning fog, rays of sunlight breaking through in places, casting intricate patterns on the ground.</p><p>She was used to getting up early—usually rising with the sun—as there were always chores that needed doing on the ranch. It was always better to get them done early, and she and her sister had a running competition to see who could get all their chores done first each day.</p><p>Thinking of her family brought the onslaught of guilt and paranoia she had been feeling since she stepped off the ferry. When Mantah Corp had arrived at their ranch to talk with her parents, Sammy had sensed something was up. She listened to the agents attempt to blackmail her parents into using her access to behind-the-scenes information she’d get at camp to save their ranch. When they had said no, Sammy was conflicted. While she really didn't want to have to arrive at camp under false pretenses, she also knew that she couldn't lose her home. And now here she was, spying for Mantah Corp.</p><p>A knock at the door snapped Sammy out of her thoughts. "Girls? Time to get up! We're leaving for the genetics lab in half an hour, so get ready and be down at the Jeep by then," Roxie's voice filtered through the door.</p><p>Sammy hopped out of bed and gathered her clothes, heading to the bathroom. Perfect, they were going to the genetics lab. Hopefully she could gather enough information for Mantah Corp while there, and then would be able to forget about it for the rest of the time at camp. She really didn't want to lie about why she was here, but she knew that if anyone found out, her family would be in major trouble. She couldn't jeopardize them by slipping up.</p><p>Heading back out of the bathroom ready for the day, Sammy popped back in her room to put away her pajamas. Yasmina was just heading out the door, and Brooklynn was just getting out of bed. The pink-haired girl looked exhausted. Sammy gave her a sympathetic smile and followed Yaz to the elevator.</p><p>The ride down was awkward. Sammy attempted to catch Yaz's eye so she could start up a conversation, but the athlete has her arms folded and was staring intently at the ground, clearly not wanting to talk. Sammy wished she could get to know her better, as she really looked like she could use a friend. She was beautiful too, Sammy noticed, smiling softly to herself.</p><p>The doors dinged and slid open, both girls stepping out and heading towards the Jeep where all three boys were already waiting. They all had tired expressions as if they didn't get much sleep the night before.</p><p>"Good morning ladies," Dave yawned. "Excited for our day at the genetics lab?"</p><p>"I can't wait! Hopefully we get to see some super cute baby dinos!" Sammy gushed. Yaz just mumbled under her breath, but at least looked intrigued, if not enthusiastic.</p><p>Sammy heard a ding behind her and turned to see Brooklynn walking towards them, scrolling through her phone with a deep frown on her face.</p><p>"Great, now that everyone's here, we've got to quick take care of something before heading to the lab." Roxie smiled and motioned the campers off into the jungle, where Sammy could just make out a small footpath. As they moved further into the jungle, she heard flies buzzing and caught a whiff of something putrid. Around her, the other campers plugged their noses and grimaced.</p><p>Roxie turned around and stopped the group. "Since Darius and Kenji decided to go on a little adventure last night, today they'll be spending the day working on a <em>special</em> project instead of going to the genetics lab." With a large grin, Roxie pulled aside a large leaf blocking their path to reveal a huge pile of—</p><p>"Poop?" Kenji retched and took a step back. "No way am I getting <em>anywhere</em> near that." He shoved Darius in front of him, who looked just as grossed out as the taller boy did.</p><p>Brooklynn giggled and snapped a photo of their faces. "Perfect," she grinned. "I can't wait to edit this into my video!"</p><p>Roxie turned her attention toward Brooklynn. "Don't think I've forgotten about your involvement in last night's adventure. While you won't be participating in this activity, I have another idea of what you'll be working on later."</p><p>Brooklynn rolled her eyes. "Yah, whatever. Can we head to the lab already? The smell is making me nauseous."</p><p>Sammy agreed with her and looked around. All of the campers looked like they'd rather be anywhere than here.</p><p>Dave tossed two shovels toward Kenji and Darius, reminding them that if they didn't finish clearing the poop today, they'd have to finish it later on.</p><p>The remaining campers followed Roxie back toward the Jeep, leaving Kenji and Darius looking after them with forlorn expressions, no chance of escape.</p><p>When they reached the Jeep, the campers piled in the back, buckling their seatbelts as the car lurched forward.</p><p>The ride to the genetics lab was uneventful, especially compared to the ride to camp yesterday. No dinosaurs attacked and everyone was silent for the most part, seemingly lost in their own thoughts.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity, the lab came into view. A woman in a bright white lab coat propped open the front doors and smiled good-naturedly. "Welcome to Jurassic World's state of the art genetics lab," she recited, sounding as though she was reading from a script. "If you all could just follow me, I'll get you started on your tour of the private lab spaces. This part of the park isn't open to the public, so remember to keep your phones turned off." The woman looked pointedly at Brooklynn, who sighed in exasperation and pocketed her phone.</p><p>As they passed through the front doors and into the main lab, Sammy kept an eye out for any information that could be useful to Mantah Corp. She wasn't even sure what to look for; everything seemed so complicated and technical. Screens lined the wall with rotating models of DNA, scientists gathered around and hurriedly scribbling down notes into journals.</p><p>A table in the middle of the room caught her eye. It was covered with large eggs. Her eyes widened, realizing that they were probably dino eggs. She rushed towards the table, Ben and Yaz right behind her. Brooklynn trailed behind them, clearly unhappy that she wasn't allowed to have her phone out.</p><p>"No way," Dave exclaimed from behind them. "Look! An egg is hatching! Roxie, get over here and look at this!"</p><p>As the group of campers and scientists gathered around the table, Sammy saw her opportunity and slipped away, desperately looking for anything she could grab for Mantah Corp. A dark hallway leading off of the main lab caught her eye. She glanced around to make sure no one was nearby and snuck into the hallway. Letting her eyes adjust to the dark, she could just make out a door left ajar, about halfway down the hallway. She ran towards it and peeked inside, not seeing anyone. <em>Finally! </em>Maybe something in here would be enough to save her family.</p><p>Whiteboards were shoved up against the walls, covered in pictures and mathematical equations. Wishing she had her phone to snap some pictures, Sammy headed over to the desk, hoping to find some concrete evidence she could actually take back with her to camp.</p><p>
  <em>Bingo.</em>
</p><p>Folders were strewn across the desk, along with three small flash drives. There had to be something on one of those. She reached for the closest one and slipped it in her pocket.</p><p>Voices echoed down the hallway, alerting Sammy that she had to leave now or risk being caught, exposed, and sent home. She raced to the door, a whiteboard on her left catching her eye. In big letters at the top, the words <em>Indominus Rex</em> were written, along with what looked like a bunch of statistics and dates, most of them recent. Feeling like she had stumbled onto something vitally important but not having the time to check it out, Sammy frowned, slipping out of the door and down the hallway. She looked behind her to make sure no one had seen where she'd come from when she collided straight into someone.</p><p>She groaned and looked up to see a startled-looking Brooklynn. "Ohhhh... uh, hey Brooklynn! What are you doing back here?" Her voice came out overly friendly, attempting to hide how close she'd come to getting her cover blown.</p><p>"Oh, I'm just, ya know, looking for the bathroom." Both girls locked eyes and laughed nervously. Sammy hoped that Brooklynn wasn't suspicious and hadn't seen anything.</p><p>"Sure, I think there's one down the hallway," Sammy supplied. Brooklynn nodded and pushed past her, finally giving Sammy the chance to escape the situation. She hurried back into the main lab and made her way towards the table with the eggs, where luckily most people were still gathered.</p><p>As she got closer, she saw Ben holding a tiny dinosaur, a look of pure joy written all over his face. Sammy smiled and reached towards it, only for her hand to be slapped away. "You can't touch her unless your hands are clean and sanitized," Ben lectured with a tone of superiority. "She's just a baby and needs to be treated with caution!"</p><p>Yaz looked over at Sammy and shrugged. "Ben won't let me hold her either, don't feel too bad about it."</p><p>Sammy smiled back at Yaz. She had finally started opening up, or at least talking to her!</p><p>The moment was ruined by Dr. Wu, who marched up to the campers with Brooklynn in tow. "I found this young lady snooping around in my private office. I'm going to have to ask you all to leave immediately, as it's clear you are unable to respect the rules established here." Brooklynn glared up at him, clearly annoyed.</p><p>The woman who had started their tour ushered their group out of the lab, much to Ben's dismay, who seemed attached to the baby dinosaur he'd already named Bumpy. "No, wait!" He stammered. "Can't I just—"</p><p>"I'm sorry, but Dr. Wu has requested that your group be escorted off the premises," the woman interrupted.</p><p>Ben glared at Brooklynn. "This is all your fault," he shot at her before stomping back to the Jeep.</p><p>Sammy, Yaz, and Brooklynn followed him, disappointed that their tour has been cut short. Sammy hoped that the flash drive she's managed to snag would have enough information to satisfy Mantah Corp, at least for now.</p><p>She reached into her pocket, tightly gripping the tiny device that could save her family and bring her life back to normal.</p><p>----</p><p>To say Kenji was disgusted would be an understatement. <em>Horrified</em> didn't even cover his feelings about the "special project" he and Darius had been dumped with as punishment for sneaking out last night. He had expected to be doing way cooler things at camp than what they had done so far. Sneaking out has been the highlight of his time here so far. Sure, he had briefly been in mortal danger, but it's not like that would be a regular occurrence or anything.</p><p>"Uh, Kenji? You going to help me, or what?" Darius asked, attempting to plug his nose and use the shovel simultaneously.</p><p>Kenji looked over at Darius, then shifted his gaze toward the enormous pile of poop. "Yah, no. No way! I'm not doing whatever we're supposed to be doing here," he decided, throwing down his shovel.</p><p>Darius stared at him in shock. "But if we don't clear it now, we'll have to finish it later!"</p><p>"Sure we will," Kenji said, rolling his eyes. "Roxie just said that to scare us. How much does she think we can actually get done while they're at the lab? This pile is so massive it's not like she'd notice if we even made a dent in this thing."</p><p>Darius didn't look convinced.</p><p>"Come on, junior! Wouldn't you rather go get a closer look at another dinosaur? Remember, I'm a VIP! I know my way around the island, plus, I know like a bunch of shortcuts," Kenji pleaded.</p><p>"Ok, deal!" Darius agreed, his eyes shining with excitement.</p><p>Kenji turned toward the jungle, gesturing for Darius to follow him. "There's an entrance to the tunnels just over here. From there, we can get to anywhere in the park!"</p><p>Darius bounded next to Kenji, unable to contain his eagerness. They cut through the jungle until they reached a clearing, interspersed with rocks of various sizes.</p><p>Kenji approached the one rock that stood out as looking a little <em>too</em> perfect, and pressed a button hidden by the long grass.</p><p>With a hiss, the rock swung up, revealing a dark tunnel cutting straight down through the earth. It was too dark to see past the first few rungs of the ladder, but Kenji knew from previous trips to the park that it wasn’t too much of a climb down into the tunnels.</p><p>“Um... are you sure it’s safe to go down there?” Darius gulped and peered into the into the darkness. “I can’t really see anything.”</p><p>Kenji laughed and bumped the other boy’s shoulder. “Let the master show you how it’s done.” He made his way down the ladder into the darkness, eventually connecting with the hard concrete floor. <em>It had to be around here somewhere,</em> he thought, desperately searching for the button that controlled the lights. He ran his hand along the wall, feeling nothing but pipes and wires.</p><p>The sound of feet on the ladder made Kenji turn around to see Darius almost down the ladder. With a hiss, the rock started to close, the only source of light rapidly diminishing. <em>Shit.</em> Where was the light switch?</p><p>“Kenji? Um, I can’t s—"</p><p>“Yes!” Kenji whooped, cutting off Darius as an eerie red light started to flicker, illuminating the tunnel. Why was the light switch so far away from the ladder? <em>Stupid scientists,</em> he thought, shaking his head. He looked around and tried to figure out where they were. He remembered coming down here with someone from the park when he was younger, but the red lights were messing up his sense of direction. Everything looked the same.</p><p>Choosing a direction to go at random, he strolled past Darius. “C’mon, junior! You want to see a dinosaur, right?”</p><p>Darius hurried to catch up with him and whispered, “So what kind of dinosaur is it? A secret T. rex maybe? Or a rare Sauropod?”</p><p>Kenji scoffed. “Please, kid. Kenji’s got something <em>way</em> better than a rare Sauropod.” He stopped in front of a ladder that seemed familiar. Hopefully this was the enclosure he remembered from a few years ago. He had begged the park employee to let them go up the ladder, but had been told it was too dangerous. Perhaps too dangerous then, but not anymore. After surviving the Velociraptor attack last night, Kenji was ready for another adventure. At least they’d be separated from the dinosaur by a fence this time.</p><p>“What’s up there?” Darius questioned, apparently not appreciating the element of surprise.</p><p>“A Carna—" Kenji fumbled for the name of the dinosaur. “A Carna-something,” he decided, climbing up the ladder.</p><p>He heard a squeal from below him. “A Carnotaurus? We’re going to see a Carnotaurus?” Darius asked, unable to contain his excitement. “That’s like one of my top five dinos!”</p><p>Kenji rolled his eyes. God, what a nerd.</p><p>He pushed open the cover to the tunnel and was momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight. He squinted and climbed onto the soft grass. Darius scrambled up and joined him, blinking in the sun. “So... which way now?”</p><p>“It’s definitely this way,” Kenji said, completely unsure of where he was. “Just through these trees.” He marched off, Darius right behind him, both boys unaware as the tunnel closed with a hiss.</p><p>The boys broke through the line of trees into another grass clearing like the one they had just left. Darius turned towards Kenji, his confusion clear. “You have no idea where we are, do you?”</p><p>“Well...” Kenji tried to think of an excuse and came up blank. “It’s not like I’ve ever been in this part of the jungle before,” he shot back, sounding ruder than he intended to.</p><p>“What?! I thought you came out here with your dad, like, what did you say? A kajillion times?” Darius was practically shouting now.</p><p>“My dad never does anything with me!” Kenji yelled back. “It’s not like you would understand!” He turned around, too fast to see Darius’ face crumple. “I’m going back,” he said over his shoulder. “This is the last time I ever try to do something nice for a dumb kid.” Angry, he kicked a small rock to the side.</p><p><em>Clang.</em> The loud noise of rock hitting metal echoed through the jungle.</p><p>Kenji turned to stare in shock at the source of the noise. Through the leaves, he could just make out what looked like a large fence stretching toward the sky. He gasped and raced towards it, hearing twigs snap as Darius scrambled to catch up.</p><p>He came to a stop in front of a looming fence, electricity crackling along the bars. “What did I tell you, junior?” Kenji smirked. “I’m a VIP, remember?”</p><p>Darius rolled his eyes and peered through the gaps in the fence. “So, where’s the Carnotaurus?” he asked, looking into the jungle for signs of movement.</p><p>Kenji scanned the jungle on the other side of the fence. He didn’t see any sign of a dinosaur. He turned toward Darius, working on an excuse, only to be met with worried brown eyes.</p><p>“You do know which side of the fence the Carnotaurus is on, right?” Darius’ voice wavered as he looked up. Kenji followed his gaze and noticed the fence curved inwards toward them at the top. That was strange. The fence was built like it was trying to keep <em>them</em> in.</p><p>A low growl behind him brought on a dawning realization. He turned around slowly, his heart thundering in his chest, and came face to face with exactly what he had been dreading. The Carnotaurus towered over him and Darius, a chilling snarl emanating from its throat.</p><p>Kenji turned back toward Darius, only to find the other boy with the exact same expression as his own. Realizing they needed to move or they were going to die, Kenji grabbed the other boy’s arm and dragged him back toward the jungle.</p><p>They tore through the trees, leaves and branches scratching their skin. They followed the line of the fence, looking for a way out. Kenji desperately hoped for a door to magically appear, but to no avail.</p><p>The Carnotaurus was almost on them now, its roar deafening as it pounded along the ground behind them. Darius pulled Kenji off to the side behind a tree, momentarily losing the dinosaur. “If we zigzag, we have a better chance of losing it,” Darius panted, gasping for breath. Kenji attempted to control his breathing and nodded. The boys jumped at a roar nearby, sprinting for the fence.</p><p>Kenji could just make out a small opening near the base of the fence, just big enough for them to squeeze through. He focused what energy he had left, hurtling towards the opening and throwing himself inside, crawling as fast as he could to the other side. He fell out onto the ground on the other side of the fence with a sigh of relief. He wasn’t going to die after all, it seemed.</p><p>A shriek followed by a roar snapped his attention back toward the fence, only to see the absolute worst-case scenario he could imagine. Darius was inside the tunnel through the fence, trapped by a door that had slid shut after Kenji had made it through. The Carnotaurus had just emerged from the jungle, growling and clearly upset its food source had escaped.</p><p>“Kenji! The door!” Darius screamed as he pounded his fists on the metal. “Get it open! Hurry!”</p><p>Kenji spun in a circle, looking for anything that could help him pry the door open. His eyes came to stop on a pointed stick. He snatched it up and pushed it against the door, using it as a lever.</p><p>The Carnotaurus was mere inches away from Darius’ legs when the door flew open, Darius spilling out and knocking Kenji to the ground. The dinosaur’s face collided with the opening in the fence, crumpling the metal with a thundering crash. It roared and pulled away, its face streaming blood from several long scratches where it had been impaled on the metal rods.</p><p>Kenji, realizing he was safe now, got to his feet and let out a laugh. “Ha! Stupid dinosaur! You think you’re so slick, Toro? You’ve got nothing,” he yelled gleefully. The Carnotaurus let out an angered roar and disappeared back into the jungle, leaving the two boys to come to terms with what just happened.</p><p>“We— we’re ok?” Darius asked, getting to his feet and looking over at Kenji. “Toro?” He questioned.</p><p>Kenji grinned. He lifted his pointer fingers to his forehead, pretending he had horns. “Because of the horns? Toro? I don’t know, it just felt right.”</p><p>Darius matched his smile. “I like it.”</p><p>Both boys broke into laughter at the absurdity of the situation. Kenji couldn’t believe he had just almost been eaten by a massive dinosaur. Maybe it was time to start toning down the adventures just a little bit. He didn’t know how long he would last if he was caught in life-or-death situations on a daily basis. Luckily, he wasn’t planning on coming that close to any more dinosaurs in the near future.</p><p>“Kenji?” Darius tapped his shoulder. “How long have we been out here? If Roxie or Dave find out we’re here, we’re definitely getting sent home,” he said, his eyes wide with shock.</p><p>Kenji tried not to think about what would happen if the counselors found out they’d traipsed into the den of a dinosaur and had nearly been eaten in the process. He shuddered. “Yah, let’s move!” Kenji grabbed Darius’ arm and hauled him back into the jungle, heading in the direction of camp.</p><p>By the time they reached the pile of poop, they were both out of breath, leaning over and wheezing. The sound of a car in the distance alerted Kenji, who grabbed his shovel from the ground and pretended to be hard at work. Darius followed suit, just in time, as the Jeep pulled up next to them.</p><p>Roxie leaned out the window, one eyebrow raised. “Why are you boys so out of breath?”</p><p>Darius laughed nervously. “We’ve just been working hard all day.” He looked at Kenji for support. The taller boy wrapped an arm around Darius and nodded, trying to look less out of breath than he really was.</p><p>“Hmm, alright,” Roxie assented. “You boys can be done now I suppose.” She shifted the Jeep into drive and turned the car around, back toward camp.</p><p>“Make sure you take a shower! And use <em>lots</em> of soap!” Ben called from the back of the car. The girls nodded vigorously in agreement. The Jeep sped away, spraying Darius and Kenji with dirt.</p><p>Rolling his eyes, Kenji followed Darius down the footpath back toward camp. He realized that over the course of twenty-four hours, he’d come close to dying not once, but twice. Hoping the rest of the week would consist of more low-key activities than it had so far, Kenji smiled. Maybe being at camp wouldn’t be so boring, he mused. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hopefully this chapter was more exciting than the last one! I had a really fun time writing from Kenji's POV, so I'm looking forward to the next chapter :)</p><p>You can find me on tumblr @campfam and also, comments and kudos are always appreciated! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Ghost Stories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Brooklynn questions her self-worth, Yaz struggles to open up, and Ben finds himself in an awkward situation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Camp was not off to a good start so far, Brooklynn decided. The amount of shit she had gone through since getting off the ferry yesterday morning—how was it only yesterday?—was unbelievable. First, Darius had stepped on her foot in his rush off the ferry. Despite it seeming insignificant, Brooklynn was still pissed and her toes were still sore. Then, last night, she had to watch Darius and Kenji almost get eaten by a pack of Velociraptors. To top it off, she hadn't been allowed to film <em>anything</em> while at the genetics lab earlier that day. Oh, right. She also got the group kicked out of the lab after Dr. Wu found her snooping on his personal computer, so everyone hated her now.</p><p>She scrolled through the comments on her latest YouTube post from yesterday, where she had filmed a tour of the entire Camp Cretaceous treehouse. Even though there was an overwhelming number of excited and positive comments, her eyes were drawn to the few negative comments. <em>This sucks! Where's the T. rex?</em> one comment read, Brooklynn sighing defeatedly as she scrolled past it.</p><p>She had been so excited to finally film something her followers would enjoy on their tour of the lab. Upon hearing she wasn't allowed to have her phone out, she had at first been angry, but managed to find Dr. Wu's office, which made her feel a little better. She had crept around, looking for clues like her favorite tv character Esther Stone did when trying to solve a mystery. Unfortunately, she hadn't found anything worthwhile and had been caught before she could discover what Dr. Wu had in the <em>confidential</em> folder on his computer.</p><p>She needed a new video to post before she started losing her fanbase she had worked so hard on building over the past few years. Looking around, she racked her brain for ideas of what her new video could feature. It was night, so the lighting wasn't going to be great. There also wasn't a dinosaur in sight, so her video wouldn't really be living up to the whole <em>Unboxing Jurassic World</em> theme she had going on.</p><p>Across the campfire, Darius was talking about something, his hood pulled low over his eyes, casting his face in shadow. His eyes reflected the flickering light emanating from the campfire. No, wait. He was telling a ghost story! Leaning closer, Brooklynn listened in, trying to decide whether this was worth filming.</p><p>"They ran as fast as they could, but no matter what they did, there was no escape from the teeth and claws of the monster prowling just behind them," Darius whispered dramatically.</p><p>Farther down the bench, Ben whimpered, pressing himself into Kenji's side. His hands were gripping the older boy's arm so tightly that his fingers were starting to turn white. Kenji didn't seem to mind though, his focus completely on Darius' story. He had a small knowing smile on his face, almost as if he'd heard this story before.</p><p>Brooklynn decided this story was good enough for her channel. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she made sure to center Darius in the frame and started filming. Just as he was getting to the good part of the story, Brooklynn decided the lighting from the campfire was too good to pass up, and snapped a picture.</p><p>A bright light shot from her phone, momentarily blinding the campers and earning a loud groan from Darius. "Oops, sorry," Brooklynn ventured. "I forgot to turn off my flash."</p><p>Darius glared at her and pulled his hood lower. He started telling the story again, but Brooklynn had lost interest. Her phone was frozen, a sign that she was out of storage blinking on her screen.</p><p>"Are you kidding me?" She whined. "What else could possibly go wrong?"</p><p>Darius stood up and pushed down his hood, his eyes wide in annoyance. "Seriously, Brooklynn?" He laid down on his bench, staring up at the sky.</p><p>"Get. Off. Me!" Kenji's voice drew Brooklynn's attention away from Darius. Apparently realizing how close he and Ben were sitting, the taller boy was attempting to pry Ben's hands off his arm, his cheeks flushed. Ben shook his head and held on tighter. "Seriously, bro! How is your grip <em>this</em> strong?" He made several more attempts to separate himself from Ben, to no avail. He slumped back against the bench and sighed.</p><p>Brooklynn chuckled at the two boys and turned back to her phone. No storage? What was she supposed to delete? She furiously swiped through her camera roll. Not the picture of her on Everest, not the pictures of her swimming in Hawaii, not the— she came to a stop on the video she had just filmed of Darius' story. Suddenly angry again, she deleted the video and went back on YouTube, checking for any more comments on her latest video. <em>Your videos are just getting worse,</em> the newest comment read. <em>When are you going to realize no one cares about your stupid channel anymore?</em></p><p>Blinking back tears, Brooklynn stood up and stumbled back inside, passing Yaz and Sammy. They were leaning against the railing, smiling. Furious at life in general, Brooklynn barged past them, slamming the door to the main room.</p><p>Finally allowing the tears to fall now that she was alone, she slowly trudged toward her room, the comment replaying over and over in her head. <em>When are you going to realize no one cares about your stupid channel anymore? </em></p><p>
  <em>When are you going to realize no one cares about you?</em>
</p><p>----</p><p>Yaz has no idea what she was doing here. She didn't really even like dinosaurs, and so far, all the other campers were getting on her nerves. Sure, she was at camp because Jurassic World was her sponsor, but why did that require her to actually attend camp?</p><p>She wished she was running right now. Everything was so much easier when all she had to focus on was her shoes on the pavement, moving so fast her thoughts couldn't catch up to her. When she was standing still, her brain was flooded with memories she didn't want to relive, some so painful that thinking about them was like a knife in her heart.</p><p>Footsteps behind her alerted her to the presence of someone else. Masking her current vulnerability with her typical uninterested expression, she turned around. Sammy waved hesitantly and moved to lean against the railing next to her. "What are you doing over here all by yourself?" she asked.</p><p>Yaz studied the trees shrouded in darkness, trying to formulate a response. "I just like being alone," she came up with. God, she sounded so stupid. But it's not like she was going to spill her innermost thoughts and feelings to a girl she hardly knew.</p><p>"Really?" Sammy raised her eyebrows. "I can't believe it! I'm never really alone, so I guess I don't really know what it's like, honestly. Back at home, I'm always either with my sister, or helping my abuela cook, or—"</p><p>As Sammy continued to talk, Yaz glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. Sammy was smiling while talking about her family, looking out into the dark. She looked so confident and sure of herself, so happy and full of love.</p><p>Yaz's face drooped, her mask of uninterest momentarily slipping. She wished she could be like Sammy, not afraid of who she was, friendly to everyone, and glowing with happiness. She wished she had happy memories of home she could think about when she was sad, or a family who loved her, no matter what.</p><p>Noticing that things were suddenly too quiet, Yaz looked over at Sammy and saw the girl staring back at her, looking expectant.</p><p>"Sorry, what?" Yaz asked, realizing she hadn't been listening that closely to Sammy and had probably missed a question.</p><p>Behind her, she heard footsteps and turned to see Brooklynn storm past, her eyes glittering with tears.</p><p>"What's that in your hand?" Sammy asked, clearly for the second time since she enunciated each word carefully, like she was afraid Yaz would go running off.</p><p>Yaz looked down at her sketchbook clutched in her hands. Oh no, no way she was showing that to anyone, not even someone as nice as Sammy. Her art was personal, and she knew if she showed it to anyone she would be ridiculed, just like she always was.</p><p>"It's nothing." Yaz moved back from the railing and turned toward the fire. "It's getting late, I'm headed inside." She walked briskly to the door, hearing Sammy stutter in protest behind her.</p><p>Reaching the door, Yaz paused momentarily, the campfire reflecting the scene in the glass doors. Though all three boys were still gathered around the campfire—two of them asleep—all she could see was Sammy. Afraid of what would happen if she stayed outside a moment longer, she twisted the doorknob, fleeing inside and leaving her problems behind her.</p><p>----</p><p>Ben burrowed his face into Kenji's sleeve, still shaking from Darius' story. It had seemed so real, especially knowing there was a possibility of it happening any time. He remembered hearing the horror stories of what happened at the first Jurassic Park. Long story short, people got chased. People were eaten. People had died. The fences hadn't done anything to protect the people from the dinosaurs. All the protocols that had been put in place to prevent that exact situation hadn't been any help at all.</p><p>What if a dinosaur got out of its enclosure here? What if a dinosaur found their camp? What if—</p><p>A quiet snore put an end to his racing thoughts. Ben looked up to see Kenji leaning back against the bench, his head tilted back, sound asleep. His facial features were softened when he was asleep, Ben noticed. He didn't seem like such a jerk after all. His mouth was slightly open, a small line of drool making its way down his chin.</p><p>Now that he thought about it, Kenji wasn't actually so bad. Sure, he was loud and annoying and bragged about how rich his dad was like every five seconds, but Ben felt like maybe that was all a facade to cover something else.</p><p>Kenji shifted in his sleep and leaned his head on top of Ben's. Oh no. Ben felt his cheeks heat up. This was so awkward. What if Kenji woke up and he was just sitting there? Should he leave? Should he stay? Ben sighed, conflicted. He released his death grip on Kenji's arm and watched closely to make sure he wasn't waking him up.</p><p>Ok, he could do this. Slouching down, Ben tried to slide away from Kenji. The boy's head moved slightly to rest back against the bench. "Mermaid... I'll save you," Kenji murmured. Ben pressed his hand to his mouth to stop himself from laughing. He slowly got to his feet and tiptoed to the door leading back inside, turning around to smile at Kenji, who was still sound asleep, muttering about mermaids.</p><p>Pulling the door shut, Ben noticed that even though he was calmer in that moment than he had been so far at camp, his heart was still racing. This time though, he didn't think it was the anxiety.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey all, sorry this chapter is so short compared to the last two! I was originally planning to have this chapter include the gyrospheres, but after writing the campfire scene I decided to break it into two chapters. I promise the gyrospheres will be in the next chapter :)</p><p>You can find me on tumblr @campfam and feel free to leave kudos and comments! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Orange, Orange, and Orange</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A storm rolls in, putting the campers in a life-or-death situation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darius couldn’t recall having been this happy in a long time. It was the perfect summer day: the sun was shining, the wind was barely noticeable, and the grass seemed greener than ever. He tipped his head back, letting the sun warm his skin.</p><p>“Campers!” Dave’s voice drifted faintly out the Jeep window. Darius looked toward the front of the car, eager to hear what surprise adventure they were going to have today. Maybe they would be visiting a dinosaur enclosure? Or more zip-lining? Or even—</p><p>The Jeep came to a rough stop and Darius craned his neck around, trying to get a good look at where they were. He hopped out of the car, lightly dropping onto the soft grass. He was standing in the middle of a big grassy plain, devoid of any trees or signs that they had been driving through the jungle mere minutes ago. Just over a small hill to his right, he heard a bellowing noise. “No way!” he cried, running toward the sound. “Is that—”</p><p>“A Stegosaurus?” Roxie finished his sentence for him, coming to stand next to him. “It sure is!” She motioned to the other campers and Dave to join them. As they gathered around, Darius tried to peer over the hill to determine what they were doing out here. He was so close to seeing a real-life Stegosaurus, it was all he could do not to bolt away from the group and toward the dinosaur. He still couldn’t believe it. There was an actual dinosaur right over the hill!</p><p>“Ok, campers,” Roxie said, trying to get everyone’s attention. “Today we have the special opportunity to follow along with a herd of dinosaurs as they’re being moved to fresh grazing lands on the other side of the island.” Darius couldn’t believe what he was hearing. A <em>herd?</em> That meant there was way more than just one Stegosaurus over the hill. This had to be the best day at camp so far, though arguably there wasn't much to compare with, besides almost getting eaten by Velociraptors and then Toro.</p><p>He looked around at the other campers, trying to see if anyone appeared as excited as he felt. Everyone seemed to be at least somewhat interested except for Ben, who was clutching his fanny pack in a death grip. Looking excessively worried, the scrawny boy whispered, “Isn’t that dangerous? What if the dinosaurs try to eat us?”</p><p>“Don’t worry, Ben,” Roxie said reassuringly. “All of these dinosaurs are herbivores, so you don’t have to worry about getting eaten.” Then she smiled, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Well, come to think of it, they only chewed on the last kid a little... but you’ll probably be just fine.”</p><p>Ben whimpered and stepped back toward the Jeep. Roxie laughed good-naturedly. “I’m just kidding! Now everyone follow me, we don’t want to miss the dinosaurs, do we?”</p><p>Darius took that as his cue and raced to the top of the hill, gasping at the sight stretched out below him. There was more than one Stegosaurus all right. In fact, there were too many dinosaurs to count! A glint to his left caught his eye. He turned, noticing three gyrospheres. Ah, so that’s how they’d be keeping up with the dinosaurs. He’d read about these being a new feature of the park, but he’d never guessed that he’d actually be able to drive one—especially among a herd of dinosaurs. This day just kept getting better and better.</p><p>He made his way toward the gyrospheres where the other campers had already gathered. Brooklynn was lounging in the nearest one, on her phone like she always was. Just behind her, Yaz had gotten into a gyrosphere of her own, tapping on the small screen that powered the vehicle, apparently eager to get moving. Just as the doors to her gyrosphere began to close, Sammy hopped into the vacant seat, smiling. Yaz frowned; apparently she had been hoping to ride solo. Darius made a beeline toward the last gyrosphere, only to find Ben already inside, clicking his seatbelt into place and cinching it tightly, even though there was no way for him to possibly fall out of the vehicle once the doors had closed.</p><p>Slowing down, Darius glanced back, considering his options. He could ride with Ben, who would probably not want to get close to the dinosaurs and would most likely be whimpering in fear the whole time. His only other option was riding with Brooklynn. He grimaced, looking over at the pink-haired girl who had been so rude to him at the campfire last night. They had gotten off to a rough start on the ferry, and every interaction they had had since just solidified his opinion that she was rude, entitled, and overly obsessed with her phone. Shaking his head with a sigh, Darius started making his way back toward Ben, only to see Roxie ushering Kenji into the seat beside the scrawny boy. Neither Ben nor Kenji looked happy about this predicament, but Darius felt a deeper sense of despair than either of them.</p><p>One last idea coming to mind, he walked toward Dave. “Are there any other gyrospheres around? I was really hoping to ride alone so I could get a closer look at the dinosaurs!” He smiled pleadingly, hoping Dave was hiding an extra gyrosphere in the jungle's tree line or maybe even behind a large log.</p><p>“Darius, no can do!” Dave rested a hand on his shoulder and turned him toward the gyrosphere Brooklynn was sitting in. “You’ve got to ride with your fellow campers! Bond, live the camp life, share your story, man.” Darius groaned, guessing he wouldn’t have any better luck with Roxie, and trudged down the hill toward Brooklynn.</p><p>He ducked through the door and slid into the seat beside her, noticing the gyrosphere wasn't even turned on yet. Sighing, he pressed the power button, the screen blinking to life. Only when the doors slid shut did Brooklynn finally look over at Darius.</p><p>"Oh, hey," she sighed, turning back to look at her phone.</p><p>"Hey..." Darius replied, drawing out the word until he internally cringed, already feeling the tension growing between them. Trying to forget the unfortunate situation he was in, he turned to look at the screen, which indicated he should put in one of the earpieces lying on the small tray in between the seats. Fitting it into his ear, he heard Roxie already talking through the device.</p><p>“—No Kenji, I gave you specific instructions that only Ben would be driving."</p><p>"But he's going to drive so slow!" Kenji's voice interrupted, clearly irritated. Darius raised an eyebrow. Ok, maybe being in the gyrosphere with Brooklynn wasn't that bad after all. At least she didn't seem like she cared how fast they went or how close they got to the dinosaurs.</p><p>"Ok, remember, use this for emergencies <em>only!"</em> Roxie reminded them. "We'll be following behind you in the Jeep. Kenji, I don't want to hear any more complaining on this channel," she added as an afterthought, before the line clicked and it went silent.</p><p>Darius handed Brooklynn her earpiece. She smiled wanly and plucked it from his palm, fitting it into her ear.</p><p>Looking out at the dinosaurs, Darius felt his previous excitement return. "Ready to finally get a close look at some dinosaurs?" Darius asked Brooklynn.</p><p>"Sure, maybe my followers will actually find <em>this</em> interesting," she muttered, leaning forward in her seat, her video rolling.</p><p>Darius grinned and pushed the joystick forward, still not believing he was actually about to ride next to a Stegosaurus.</p><p>----</p><p>"How great is this?" Sammy gushed, turning to beam at Yaz. "Now we're in a shell for two, and I can really get to know you!"</p><p>"Yay," Yaz replied sarcastically, shoving the joystick forward, causing their gyrosphere to hurtle toward the dinosaur herd. Being here—in the gyrosphere with Sammy—was everything she wanted, but at the same time, everything she had been trying to avoid. She has hoped that Sammy would give her some space after last night, but now here they were, trapped in a glass sphere together with nowhere to go, nowhere to run. Usually, Yaz solved her problems by running from them, but that was obviously a no-go in this situation. Gritting her teeth, she resigned herself to the fact that for the next hour or so, she was going to have to make small talk with Sammy. As long as she avoided personal details, feelings, and emotions, she was good to go.</p><p>"So, what's your favorite color?" Sammy asked. "Ooh, wait! Favorite food? Favorite color of food?"</p><p>Yah, this wasn't going to be so easy after all, Yaz realized. Deciding to share as little as possible, she deadpanned, "Orange, orange, and orange," hoping Sammy would take the hint and give up trying to get to know her.</p><p>Her words had the opposite effect. Sammy broke into laughter, leaning forward to catch her breath.</p><p>Yaz blinked. Why did Sammy have to have such a nice laugh? She sighed and concentrated on the dinosaurs in front of her. Darius and Brooklyn's gyrosphere was ahead of her, rolling along next to a spiky looking dinosaur. Darius seemed to be ecstatic, his face pressed to the side of the gyrosphere, clearly trying to get as close to the dinosaurs as possible. Brooklynn was leaning back in her seat and seemed to be asleep.</p><p>Yaz wished Brooklynn was in her gyrosphere instead of Sammy. It would be nice and quiet, and Yaz wouldn't have to worry about saying the wrong thing and risk getting that look people always gave her when they found out what she really was like. She wasn't sure why—though she had a creeping suspicion—but she knew it would hurt to see Sammy look at her that way.</p><p>"Look!" Sammy pointed to the right, where dark storm clouds were forming on the horizon. "It looks like a storm's a comin'!" Yaz turned around in her seat and saw the clouds that hadn't been there when they'd first started their adventure.</p><p>Shifting in her seat back to the front, she concentrated again on driving, making sure to stay clear of the dinosaurs' tails. And horns. And teeth. Why were dinosaurs so pointy, especially if they were supposedly harmless herbivores?</p><p>A crack of lightning startled the two girls. Yaz flinched as Sammy grabbed her hand that rested on top of the joystick. She looked in shock at Sammy, who returned her hand to her lap and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry! That lightning just scared me a little is all."</p><p>Yaz tried to fight the blush rising to her cheeks. "I'm sure if it was something to worry about, Roxie would've let us know," she said, tapping her earpiece. Trying to think of anything else besides Sammy holding her hand—ok really, it hadn't even really counted as holding hands, if anything it had lasted like five seconds—she looked around the dinosaur herd, searching for the last gyrosphere.</p><p>"Where's Ben and Kenji?" She asked Sammy.</p><p>The other girl looked over at her and shrugged. "Who knows?"</p><p>Both girls suddenly pitched forward, whipping around to see the aforementioned gyrosphere behind them, Ben waving, clearly embarrassed for having hit them. Kenji was slouched low in his seat, his arms crossed and his face in a scowl.</p><p>"Let's catch up to Darius and Brooklynn," Yaz decided, wanting to distance herself from the situation behind them. Sammy nodded in agreement and their gyrosphere raced forward, into the herd of dinosaurs.</p><p>----</p><p>"Go faster!"</p><p>"No! We'll hit a dino and get caught in a stampede, or get eaten, or die!"</p><p>"Ok, that's it! I'm driving!" Kenji grabbed the joystick, attempting to peel Ben's fingers off the device and finding himself wondering again why such a scrawny boy had such a strong grip.</p><p>"Get off!" Ben grunted, trying to keep the gyrosphere crawling along at the speed of a snail.</p><p>Kenji howled in exasperation and wrenched the joystick from Ben's grasp, having to use both hands to do so. He couldn't believe he was stuck in a gyrosphere—which was supposed to be a fun adventure—with the most boring partner possible. And he wasn't even allowed to drive! Well, too late to follow that rule, he thought, punching the joystick forward and zooming forward to catch up to Yaz and Sammy.</p><p>"Ahhh!" Ben screamed, trying to regain control of the joystick and failing. With a sigh, he gave up and gripped his seatbelt so tightly, Kenji looked over to make sure he was alright. Seeing nothing amiss, he returned his gaze to the front. They weren't in any immediate danger, so he'd call that a win. He navigated through the dinosaur herd, trying to catch up to the other two gyrospheres.</p><p>A voice crackled in his earpiece, startling him. "Campers? The storm's getting worse so we're going to have to head back to camp." Kenji looked back at the Jeep trailing them to see Dave, leaning out the window waving at them. "We're going to need you all to stop here while we go ahead to contact the rangers in charge of this herd and tell them we're leaving. Don't move, we'll be right back." Dave gave them a thumbs up and the Jeep sped off.</p><p>"What a bummer," Ben said, looking anything but bummed.</p><p>Kenji sighed and scowled. "Dude, why are you like this?"</p><p>Ben frowned and looked at his feet. "I just don't want to die, you know?"</p><p>Confused, Kenji motioned to the glass barrier of the gyrosphere. "We're safe in here though, nothing's getting in."</p><p>Ben didn't look reassured but nodded. "Yah, I guess."</p><p>Rain pounded against the top of the gyrosphere, obscuring the boys' vision of the dinosaur herd. Mud from the wet grass left streaks across the glass, making it difficult to see where they were going. Leaning forward to peer through an unobscured section of glass, Kenji frowned. "They really should've included windshield wipers or something," he mused, trying to lighten the mood. Ben nodded soundlessly, still clutching his seatbelt tightly. "Ok, I'm going to see if I can find the other gyrospheres," Kenji said, pushing the joystick forward.</p><p>They rolled forward carefully, trying to avoid mud puddles and logs littering the grassy plain. Eventually, they saw the two gyrospheres stopped ahead.</p><p>"Kenji? Ben?" Darius' voice came from the boys' earpieces, sounding worried.</p><p>Kenji glanced over at Ben, who was looking back at him, relief written all over his face, clearly glad to have caught up to everyone else. Putting a hand to his earpiece, Kenji replied, "Yah, yah, we're here." He heard what sounded like Darius and Brooklynn arguing for a minute or two until finally the line went silent.</p><p>Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder emanated from above. Trying to ignore Ben's startled scream, Kenji noticed a dinosaur running from the herd toward the jungle.</p><p>Darius' voice occupied the channel again, sounding frantic. "Guys, a Sinoceratops is getting away! Me and Brooklynn are going to follow her and try to lead her back to the herd!"</p><p>"Sweet, we'll help!" Kenji yelled back, excited to finally have something interesting to do. He shoved the joystick forward, causing their gyrosphere to hurtle past Yaz and Sammy, in close pursuit of the Sino-whatever.</p><p>As Darius moved toward the left of the dinosaur, Kenji pulled up toward the right, trying to get her to turn around back toward the herd. The two gyrospheres pressed close against the dinosaur, but nothing seemed to be working.</p><p>"Guys! You've gotta be more gentle!" came Sammy's voice through Kenji's earpiece. Ignoring her, he continued to press closer until out of nowhere, the dinosaur's tail whipped around and smacked into the back of their gyrosphere.</p><p>Reeling forward from the force of the impact, Kenji and Ben screamed. Their gyrosphere spun out of control into the jungle, narrowly avoiding trees and sharp rocks.</p><p>Both boys jostled for control of the joystick, desperate to stop the gyrosphere from spinning into a nearby tree. Neither of them wanted to leave their fate up to the other's control, so they ended up steering together, their hands intertwined on the joystick.</p><p>A tree loomed in front of them, so Kenji yanked the controls to the right. Unfortunately, Ben had yanked the controls to the left, so their gyrosphere wobbled back and forth, speeding toward the tree. Kenji pulled the joystick right with all his might, just avoiding what would’ve been a head-on collision. Instead, the left edge of the gyrosphere clipped the tree, spinning them out of control once again. The screen turned black and the controls stopped working, so there was nothing to do but hold on and hope they wouldn't go off a cliff or land in a river.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity, they rolled into a grove of trees and came to a stop, their gyrosphere turned upside down. Feeling the blood starting to rush to his head, Kenji fumbled with his seatbelt. Next to him, he saw Ben shaking, attempting to free himself.</p><p>Finally getting his seatbelt off, Kenji fell toward the ground, landing on his shoulder. He groaned in pain. That was going to hurt later, he thought, massaging the spot that was already beginning to feel sore.</p><p>Getting up on his knees, he reached toward Ben's seatbelt to help the smaller boy get free. The seatbelt was cinched so tightly, it took him a few minutes to get Ben out. Because the space inside the gyrosphere was so cramped, Kenji had a difficult time maneuvering Ben from the seat and onto the floor, but working together, they managed it.</p><p>"Um... how are we going to get out?" Ben asked, pointing toward his door, which was wedged into the base of a tree and didn't look like it would be opening any time soon. Sighing in exasperation, Kenji examined his own door. Luckily, it was facing the open jungle, and it was slightly ajar—the impact into the tree earlier must have popped it open.</p><p>"Way ahead of you Benny-boy," Kenji smirked and shoved his door the rest of the way open. Crawling out, he grimaced as he landed in a shallow puddle of muddy water, completely ruining his shorts. Why did everything have to go wrong at this stupid camp? How was he even supposed to find his way back? They had spun around so much in the gyrosphere he had no idea which way they’d even come from.</p><p>Feeling a tap on his arm, Kenji turned around. Ben had gotten out of the gyrosphere and had somehow managed to avoid landing in the mud. "Kenji, we should head back and find the other gyrospheres," Ben said, pointing toward their right.</p><p>"Well, duh! But we don't even know which way—"</p><p>"Look!" Ben interrupted, gesturing at the mud. "If we follow our gyrosphere tracks, we should be able to meet back up with everyone else!"</p><p>Kenji couldn't help smiling despite their unfortunate situation. In that moment, he realized he was glad he had ended up riding with Ben. Who knows how long he would've been stuck out here if he'd been with anyone else.</p><p>Grabbing Ben's hand, he pulled the other boy in the direction they had come from, eager to get out of the rain.</p><p>----</p><p>"Well, this is great," Yaz huffed. Sammy looked over to see her tapping on the screen, which had turned black—never a good sign. After being told to wait for Dave and Roxie, Darius had convinced Kenji to race after a Sinoceratops that had strayed from the herd. Sammy had tried to warn them that it wasn't a good idea, but she had been forced to watch in despair as both gyrospheres raced off towards the jungle. Yaz had sped after them, not wanting to miss out on the adventure, even though Sammy knew this was the wrong way to go about bringing the dinosaur back to the herd. She had spent enough time with the cattle on her family’s ranch to know that trapping a spooked animal was only bound to cause trouble and injuries.</p><p>Despite her protests, no one had listened to her and the Sinoceratops had lashed out, whipping Kenji and Ben’s gyrosphere into the jungle and hitting Darius and Brooklynn’s gyrosphere in the other direction. Luckily, since she and Yaz were still behind the other gyrospheres, they hadn’t been hit by the dinosaur. They had attempted to follow the dinosaur into the jungle, but had only ended up trapped between two large fallen trees. Now they were trapped, lost, and split up from the other campers.</p><p>Sammy opened her door and peeked out, immediately getting drenched by the rainfall. Even through the trees blocked most of the rain, it was still coming down hard enough to leave her soaked and shivering. She assessed the situation outside: a large tree was blocking their path to the front and the back, and dense underbrush on either side made it unlikely that they could get the gyrosphere out that way either. Unsure of what to do, Sammy looked over at Yaz, who had also moved outside and was looking around for a way out. She started grabbing the thick sticks littering the ground and stacked them against one of the fallen trees. “Sammy!” She called. “If we stack them, we should be able to make a ramp and ride out of here!”</p><p>Sammy nodded and smiled, glad Yaz was a quick thinker. She decided not to bring up the fact that their gyrosphere was clearly dead and didn’t seem like it would be moving any time soon. Grabbing as many sticks as she could off the ground, she piled them on the stack Yaz had already made. Soon, their pile nearly reached the top of the fallen tree in front of them. Excited to finally get out of the rain, Sammy turned to Yaz, motioning for her to come back to the gyrosphere.</p><p>Both girls climbed back in and buckled their seatbelts. Yaz pounded on the screen, and to Sammy’s shock, it blinked to life. They cheered and Yaz punched the joystick, their gyrosphere rocketing up the makeshift ramp and flying over the fallen tree. Feeling momentarily weightless as they caught air, Sammy squeezed her eyes shut as they crashed back onto the ground. “Let’s go find the others,” she said, grinning at Yaz, happy that they had escaped from their predicament.</p><p>“Yah, I guess I’ll just head this way?” Yaz questioned. Sammy looked at the ground in front of them and saw the tracks of another gyrosphere, veering off deeper into the jungle. She nodded and kept her eyes peeled for any sign of the others.</p><p>They had only been following the tracks for a few minutes when suddenly, something moved out onto the path in front of them. Sammy grabbed Yaz’s hand on the joystick and yanked it backward, bringing the gyrosphere to a screeching halt. Hoping they didn’t just accidentally commit murder, both girls looked down at the ground in front of them to see Ben and Kenji, lying on the ground. Ben had his arms wrapped around Kenji, the taller boy looking resigned at the situation, but hadn’t attempted to push Ben away. Sammy saw their faces light up at the realization they had found someone with a working gyrosphere.</p><p>She hopped out and waved them over. “Let’s go find Brooklynn and Darius!”</p><p>----</p><p>Ben was <em>not</em> having a good day. He’d been dragged out to a herd of supposedly harmless dinosaurs, forced to share a gyrosphere with Kenji, whacked by a dinosaur’s tail, crashed into a tree, and now nearly had been run over by Yasmina and Sammy. This was not the kind of thing he’d signed up to do while at camp, though to be fair, he hadn’t wanted to be at camp in the first place.</p><p>Yaz’s elbow poked into his ribcage, reminding him how much he wished he was at home instead. He was currently precariously perched on the left side of Yaz’s seat, pressed up against the door of the gyrosphere. Kenji was in the same predicament on the other side, attempting to share a seat with Sammy. The four of them were following what they thought were dinosaur tracks, hoping to find Darius and Brooklynn. He and Kenji had been driving next to them what felt like only minutes ago, trying to herd a Sinoceratops back to the herd of dinosaurs. When he and Kenji had been hit toward the jungle by the dinosaur’s tail, he wasn’t sure where Darius and Brooklynn had ended up. Luckily, they’d run into Yaz and Sammy, or Ben wasn’t sure how long he and Kenji would have been wandering through the jungle.</p><p>Last night, he had been convinced that Kenji wasn’t all that bad. However, after today, Ben realized that maybe the older boy was only nice when he was asleep. He had been nothing but rude during their ride in the gyrosphere, making it clear that Ben was the last person he would’ve chosen as a partner for today’s adventure. Then, it was <em>his</em> reckless driving that had ended up with both boys soaked from the rain and lost in the jungle. Ben sighed and glared over at Kenji, taking pleasure in how uncomfortable the boy looked pressed into the side of the gyrosphere.</p><p>A crackling noise in his ear snapped his attention back to the task at hand: finding Darius and Brooklynn. “We’re tr— door stuck— help!” came Brooklynn’s frantic voice from his ear, cutting in and out and making it hard to figure out what she was trying to say. The four campers looked at each other, confirming they had all heard the same thing.</p><p>“Where are you?” Ben shouted back. They were clearly in trouble, but he had no idea how to find them if the line kept cutting out.</p><p>Taking out his earpiece, Kenji motioned them to be quiet. “I think I hear them screaming! This way,” he shouted, pointing to the right.</p><p>Yaz turned the gyrosphere sharply and zoomed toward where Kenji was pointing. The campers braced themselves against the seats and walls, trying to keep from crashing into each other. As they raced deeper into the jungle, Ben could hear the screaming getting louder.</p><p>They broke through the trees into a small clearing. Immediately, Ben could tell Darius and Brooklynn were in major trouble. Their gyrosphere was lodged in a large sinkhole and seemed to be getting sucked in quickly. There was also a large crack in the top of the gyrosphere, and Ben realized that if they didn’t do something quickly, the mud would fill the crack, cutting off Brooklynn and Darius’ air supply. After that happened, it wouldn’t take long before— no. Ben cut off his train of through before things got too dark.</p><p>Their gyrosphere came to a quick stop and the campers piled out, racing over to the cracked gyrosphere. Kenji and Yaz jumped into the mud, attempting to push the vehicle out of the sinkhole far enough to at least get the doors open. They didn’t seem to be making any progress, but Ben noticed their feet sinking quickly.</p><p>“Get out!” He screamed. Kenji and Yaz looked over at him, confused. “Your feet! You’re going to get pulled under too!”</p><p>Realizing what was happening, Kenji and Yaz yanked their feet out of the mud and fell onto the grass. The gyrosphere seemed to be sinking faster than ever. Out of options, Ben tapped his earpiece frantically. Maybe he could contact Dave and Roxie. “Help! Help!” He yelled into the device, his voice cracking. “Dave? Roxie? We need your help <em>now!</em>” When there was no answer, he sunk to the ground in despair.</p><p>----</p><p>Brooklynn pounded on the glass, trying to get her door open even though she realized it was hopeless. They were too deep in the mud to get out now. It didn’t even matter that the other campers were here now, since there was no way for them to possibly lift the gyrosphere from the mud. Realizing she was probably going to die, her eyes filled with tears.</p><p>She looked over at Darius, who was still kicking and punching the hole in the glass, trying his best to widen the opening. If only the Sinoceratops’ horn had been a little bigger, maybe they would have been able to escape out the crack.</p><p>Everything had happened so fast, Brooklynn couldn’t even blame Darius for the situation they were in. After trying to corral the dinosaur back to the herd, the Sinoceratops had gotten spooked and bolted into the jungle. Convinced he knew how to lead her back, Darius had convinced Brooklynn to agree to following the dinosaur. They had chased her through the jungle and cornered her in a small clearing. Apparently, the dinosaur hadn’t liked that and had speared the glass of the gyrosphere, leaving a large crack and sending them spinning toward a large sinkhole. By the time she realized what had happened, their gyrosphere had already sunk too far for the doors to open. She and Darius had tried to pry the doors open for what felt like hours until they realized their efforts were futile. Darius had then turned his attention to the crack in the glass, while Brooklynn tried to contact the other campers on her earpiece. She had heard a voice she thought was Ben’s briefly, but the line cut out before she knew if anyone was coming to help.</p><p>Throwing her earpiece to the floor, she sobbed in frustration. So <em>this</em> was how she was going to die?</p><p>Apparently realizing he was getting nowhere with the crack in the glass, Darius slid to the floor of the gyrosphere looking utterly devastated. Brooklynn wanted to say something reassuring, but what were you supposed to say when death was just minutes away? She settled with putting a hand on his shoulder, attempting to put on a brave face.</p><p>"Hey, I'm sorry if I was rude before," she said softly. "I've just had a lot going on the past few days. I know that's no excuse, but I just wanted to say... well, sorry."</p><p>Darius looked up at her, his eyes shining with tears. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry," he whispered. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't thought I knew everything about dinosaurs we would be back by the herd, waiting for Dave and Roxie. I just beat a video game and thought that meant I would know what to do in real life too."</p><p>Brooklynn stared at him in shock. "This is my fault too! If I hadn't been so focused on getting new content for my followers, I would've realized this was a bad idea." She felt a tear trace its way down her cheek. It all seemed so pointless now, trying to impress a bunch of online strangers she didn't even know. Who cared if people didn't like her videos?</p><p>"Brooklynn? I—” Darius stopped what he was about to say, looking up towards the crack in the glass. A vine was poking through the opening. Hearing muffled shouts from outside, Brooklynn allowed herself a glimmer of hope.</p><p>"Do you think—” she broke off, looking over at Darius who was grinning from ear to ear.</p><p>"They must have found a way to free us!"</p><p>Working together, they pulled the vine into the gyrosphere, knotting it around the dashboard and seats, making sure it was as secure as possible.</p><p>Mud started to pour in through the crack. Desperate now, Brooklynn yanked on the vine, trying to indicate to the campers outside they were ready to get pulled out. Just when she thought maybe there had been a mistake, she felt the gyrosphere move up, the mud making squelching sounds as the glass vehicle pulled free of the sinkhole.</p><p>A smile breaking across her face as the sun shone through the crack once again, Brooklynn realized they were back on solid ground. She wedged her door open and tumbled out onto the wet grass, laughing in relief. Pressing a hand to the ground to prove to herself she was actually safe, she sat up to see Kenji, Ben, and Yaz beaming at her.</p><p>Darius emerged from the other side of the gyrosphere and looked around. "How—” he started, only to stop, his mouth hanging open.</p><p>Sammy walked out of the trees, the Sinoceratops following behind her. The vine trailing out of the broken gyrosphere was tied around the dinosaur's waist. Somehow, the other campers had gotten the Sinoceratops to pull their gyrosphere out of the sinkhole. Brooklynn didn't even care how they had done it at this point, she was just happy to not be trapped beneath piles of mud for eternity.</p><p>Darius looked over at Brooklynn, checking to make sure she was ok. She smiled back, realizing that he wasn't that annoying after all. Sure, he was a complete nerd most of the time, but he could actually be really understanding. Despite what she had originally thought, she was beginning to realize that maybe he was someone she could picture herself being friends with.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey, all! Sorry this update is later than intended, but the chapter is extra long, so hopefully that made the wait worth it :) I'm planning on posting ch. 5 sometime soon!</p><p>Comments and kudos are appreciated &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. So Many Stairs!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sammy tries to cover her tracks and Darius takes a leap of faith—literally.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sammy's eyes flew open at a creaking sound to her left. She squinted—trying to avoid the bright morning sun—and rolled over in bed to see Brooklynn slip out the bedroom door, already fully dressed, her phone and charger in hand.</p><p>Rubbing her eyes, Sammy stared at the bottom of the bunk bed above her, agonizing over how tired she was. Yesterday had been a train wreck, what with the gyrosphere disaster, Brooklynn and Darius almost dying, and the looming fact hanging over her head that she was a spy. A <em>spy!</em> Finding things Mantah Corp would want sent to them was difficult, since Sammy had no clue what they were looking for. She was trying her best, since her family's ranch was at stake. No good information sent to Mantah Corp meant she—and the rest of her family—could be broke and homeless by the time she got back from camp.</p><p>Luckily, she had managed to snag a flash drive from Dr. Wu's private lab a few days ago, which she had delivered to a drone sent from Mantah Corp in the dead of night. How she had managed to sneak out without anyone catching her, she still wasn't sure, but it seemed luck was on her side—at least so far.</p><p>Yesterday, she had also managed to collect a small skin sample from the Sinoceratops without being noticed by the other campers. After saving Darius and Brooklynn, the campers had had some time to hang around before Dave and Roxie were able to find them in the jungle. Brooklynn had been filming a video detailing her near-death experience, so while everyone else was sidetracked, Sammy had managed to sneak away and swab the Sinoceratops' beak for a DNA sample.</p><p>Yawning, Sammy decided she may as well get out of bed. Pushing back the covers and swapping out her pajamas for her favorite pair of clothes, she headed out the door and into the common area to see Brooklynn lounging on one of the couches. She seemed to be editing the video she'd taken yesterday after getting saved from the sinkhole.</p><p>Quietly taking another step toward the couch, Sammy peered closer at Brooklynn's phone. Kenji was talking to the camera about how he'd "saved the day"—Sammy rolled her eyes at that since if she remembered correctly, <em>she</em> was the one who'd technically saved the day—but in the background of the shot, Sammy saw herself crouched in front of the Sinoceratops.</p><p>"What the heck?" Brooklynn muttered, zooming in on the video, a clear image of Sammy pocketing a vial of the Sinoceratops' skin cells popping up on the phone.</p><p>Feeling goosebumps rising along her arms, Sammy took a step backward as quietly as she could, hoping Brooklynn hadn't heard her. Was there any way she could convince the younger girl that she hadn't been spying? Perhaps she could say the vial was only a trick of the light? Shaking her head as she backed down the hallway, Sammy realized Brooklynn was smart; she wasn't going to be forgetting about what she saw anytime soon.</p><p>If Brooklynn exposed her though, her whole family would be in trouble. No one could know she was spying for Mantah Corp. If that got out—</p><p>Sammy squeezed her eyes shut and turned down a random hallway, pressing up against the wall. How could she fix this? Her best bet was deleting the video so Brooklynn didn't have any evidence of her slip-up. Then, if she tried exposing her, it would be Brooklynn's word against hers.</p><p>A noise from nearby startled Sammy, her hands balling in fists at her side automatically. She peered around the corner to see Brooklynn get off the couch and head down another hallway leading off the main room toward the bathroom.</p><p>Sammy sighed in relief. Now was her chance! She darted around the corner and into the main room to see Brooklynn's phone laying on the couch, plugged into its charger. Snatching the device up, Sammy tapped the screen, hoping to quickly delete the video before Brooklynn came back from the bathroom.</p><p>A picture of Brooklynn posing next to a palm tree flashed on the screen. Glancing at the hallway, Sammy pressed the home button only to see a passcode screen pop up. <em>Oh no</em>. She’d been too caught up in deleting the video to even consider that Brooklynn would have a passcode.</p><p>Footsteps behind her forced Sammy to make a split-second decision. Shoving the phone into her pocket, she darted to the couch opposite where Brooklynn had been sitting, collapsing against the cushions like she'd been relaxing there for a while already.</p><p>Yasmina stepped into the main room, a small book clutched under one arm. Her eyes widened as she noticed Sammy; she clearly hadn't expected to see anyone else in the room.</p><p>"Hey," Sammy waved. "Good morning!" She patted the couch cushion next to her invitingly, hoping Yaz would sit next to her. She had wanted to get to know the older girl yesterday during their gyrosphere adventure, but they hadn't had much time for talking. Today though, Sammy was determined to become friends with Yaz.</p><p>Yaz gave her a small smile and tightened her grip on the book, hesitating before heading over to Sammy and settling down on the couch next to her.</p><p>"You never did tell me what that was," Sammy said pointing at Yaz's book, curiosity getting the best of her.</p><p>Her eyes widening in shock, Yaz looked down at the book in her arms. "It's noth—"</p><p>"It's obviously not <em>nothing</em>," Sammy said softly. "It seems to be pretty important to you. You don't have to tell me what it is, I was just curious." She leaned back against the couch, watching Yaz carefully.</p><p>Looking over at Sammy, Yaz hesitantly held out the book and pursed her lips. "It's just a sketchbook. I draw sometimes, but I'm not good or anything... it's just to take my mind off—" she broke off whatever she had been about to say as Sammy opened the book.</p><p>Drawings of dinosaurs they'd seen yesterday filled the pages. The Sinoceratops they'd chased after in the gyrosphere took up a whole page, along with smaller sketches of all the campers. Sammy saw a small drawing of herself smiling up at something, her eyes crinkled like what happened when she was truly happy. Reaching down to trace the sketch with her fingers, she looked up at Yaz, who was gazing back at her nervously.</p><p>"These are amazing!" Sammy breathed out in awe, shocked by the beauty of the sketches.</p><p>Yaz blushed and looked away, clearly not used to receiving praise for her art.</p><p>A loud yawn startled both girls, causing them to jump at the sudden sound. Kenji trudged into the room and glanced around, rubbing his eyes and looking like he still wasn’t fully awake.</p><p>"Hey Kenji!" Sammy said, trying to slow her racing heart. She had thought it was Brooklynn and panicked. Luckily, the pink-haired girl still wasn't back to notice her phone was missing.</p><p>Ignoring the two girls, Kenji made his way to the ping-pong table next to the windows. "Where are Dave and Roxie?" he asked, picking up a scrap of paper someone had left on the table.</p><p>Looking at Yaz, unsure how to respond, Sammy shrugged. "Not sure."</p><p>Kenji groaned and collapsed into a chair on wheels next to the table. "They left to go talk to some lady in the main park and said we have to wait here until they get back. They also left arts and crafts supplies?" Looking offended, he picked up a loose sheet of paper from the table. "These are kids' menus! How old do they think we are? Who still colors with crayons?"</p><p>"Crayons? I love crayons!" Ben walked into the room, heading toward Kenji. The taller boy rolled his eyes and scooted away in his chair, rolling toward the couch.</p><p>"Of course you do," Kenji muttered.</p><p>Ben settled down on the couch—next to Brooklynn's empty phone charger, Sammy noticed, trying not to panic—and started coloring one of the menus with a bright red crayon.</p><p>Stifling a laugh, Sammy met Yaz's eyes and both girls smiled.</p><p>A few minutes later, Darius ran into the room, his eyes wide with excitement. "Who's ready for a kayak adventure? Woo-hoo!" He laughed and pumped his fist in the air.</p><p>Kenji rolled toward him with a scowl and shoved the scrap of paper with Dave and Roxie's instructions on it. "Not in a <em>woo-hoo </em>mood this morning, junior," he spat out, clearly unhappy to be stuck inside, treated like a little kid.</p><p>Darius read the note, his smile drooping after getting to the end of the instructions. "What? But—"</p><p>Brooklynn waltzed into the room, her eyes immediately zeroing in on the empty phone charger laying on the couch next to Ben. Her eyes widened and her eyebrows furrowed; Sammy bit back a gasp at her expression. She looked downright murderous.</p><p>"Where is my phone?!" Brooklynn said quietly.</p><p>The other campers looked toward the pink-haired girl in confusion. Trying to act like she was hearing of this for the first time, Sammy played along, forcing a look of confusion onto her face.</p><p>"Where is it?!" Brooklynn yelled, stomping toward the empty charger.</p><p>Darius stepped toward her, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "Hey, whoa, it probably just fell into the cushion crack or something."</p><p>Brooklynn glared at him, then looked around the room until her gaze came to rest on Sammy. "I think I know exactly where it is," she seethed.</p><p>Gulping nervously, Sammy tried to look as innocent as possible. Meeting Brooklynn's furious gaze, she shrugged and motioned toward the couch. "Darius is probably right! I bet it just fell into the couch," she supplied, hoping Brooklynn would somehow believe her.</p><p>"It just came unplugged from its charger and fell into the couch? Yah, that sounds really likely," Brooklynn said, glaring at Sammy. "I think someone <em>took</em> my phone. Someone who's trying to hide something I filmed yesterday."</p><p>She walked toward Sammy slowly, holding out her hand. "Give it back."</p><p>Lost for words, Sammy laid a hand over her pocket, trying to hide the shape of the phone poking through her jeans. Just as she was about to spout a stupid excuse, Yaz jumped up and got in Brooklynn's face.</p><p>"Sammy didn't take your phone!" she said firmly, crossing her arms in defiance.</p><p>Darius stepped between them, smiling in an effort to stop a fight from breaking out. "Brooklynn, we've all used your phone recently! It probably just got misplaced."</p><p>The other campers chimed in, telling Brooklynn the various times they'd borrowed her phone earlier that morning or last night. Taking a step back, but clearly not believing them, Brooklynn sighed and looked away from Sammy.</p><p>A sudden loud noise from outside startled the campers. They looked at each other, confused, and ran out the glass doors to the balcony. Sammy leaned over the railing, trying to discern the source of the noise.</p><p>
  <em>Boom!</em>
</p><p>“What is that?” Ben whimpered, shaking as he peered into the jungle. The other campers followed his gaze, on the lookout for a dinosaur. Sammy grimaced. Hopefully no dinosaurs had escaped their enclosure, or they’d be in big trouble. At least they were way up in the trees where nothing could get them.</p><p>“They’re probably just moving a dinosaur to a different enclosure,” Kenji said with disinterest. “Happens all the time.” His face didn’t display the same level of confidence as his words though.</p><p>Darius shoved past Kenji to see over the railing. He stood on his tiptoes, trying to see over the tall jungle trees. “Ugh, I can’t see anything! Even from all the way up here.”</p><p>Curious as to what the noise could be, Sammy had an idea. “I bet we could see the dinosaur from the lookout tower!” she suggested, glancing surreptitiously at Brooklynn. The pink-haired girl was still glaring at her, clearly not having forgotten about her missing phone. Suddenly wanting to get as far away from the situation as possible, Sammy grabbed Darius’ arm.</p><p>“Hey Darius, you think we’d be able to see the dinosaur from there, right?”</p><p>“I mean, probably—”</p><p>Not waiting to hear the rest of his reply, Sammy dragged the younger boy back into the main room toward the elevator, the other campers trailing behind and ignoring Ben's protests that they should stay at camp instead. She stepped into the elevator, pressing into the corner and trying to put as much distance between Brooklynn and herself as possible. Yaz moved to stand next to her and gave her a small smile; Kenji followed the group to the elevator but stood near the doors, holding them open with his foot.</p><p>Confused, Sammy didn’t understand until she heard Ben’s voice call from the couch, “Guys, actually, wait up!” Chuckling, she saw Kenji roll his eyes as the smaller boy ran into the elevator, folding up his crayon drawing and stuffing it into his fanny pack.</p><p>The elevator dinged and the doors closed, cutting off the booming sounds from outside. Excited to see what the noise was, Sammy tried to ignore Brooklynn and forget about the phone tucked away safely in her pocket. There was no way she was giving it back to Brooklynn before she could figure out how to delete the video from yesterday.</p><p>----</p><p>Gripping the railing of the lookout tower as he tried to catch his breath, Darius looked out over the jungle. He couldn’t see any dinosaurs large enough to make that loud of a noise. What could the noise have been coming from?</p><p>“So. Many. Stairs!” Kenji gasped out, collapsing on the platform, finally up the stairs after numerous complaints and pleas to take a rest after each flight.</p><p>The campers had made it to the lookout tower a few minutes ago only to discover the gate surrounding the stairs had been locked. Luckily, Brooklynn had managed to pick the lock so they could get past the gate and up to the platform in order to figure out what the loud noise they’d heard at camp had been from.</p><p>After getting out of the elevator back at camp, the campers hadn’t been able to hear the noise anymore, but they trekked to the lookout tower anyways, hoping they’d still be able to see whatever dinosaur was being moved between enclosures.</p><p>The other campers—except Kenji, who was still collapsed on the platform—joined Darius at the railing just as the loud booming noise started up again. Whipping their heads around, they all tried to spot the dinosaur through the trees, but there was nothing in sight.</p><p>Suddenly, a Brachiosaurus stretched its long neck above the tree line, taking a large mouthful of leaves.</p><p>The campers all sighed in relief at the sight of the herbivore. Darius peered closer though, sure that the noise had to be coming from something else. The Brachiosaurus wouldn’t have been capable of making sure a distinct booming noise. It sounded more like a heavy dinosaur running, and the Brachiosaurus didn’t really run, it usually plodded along slowly, looking for food high up in the trees.</p><p>“Something isn’t right,” Darius said quietly, not yet convinced the Brachiosaurus was the source of the noise.</p><p>"Ok, looks like we found the dinosaur!" Ben backed away from the railing and stepped over Kenji, heading toward the stairs. "Time to get back to camp!" He smiled pleadingly at the group.</p><p>Darius grimaced and shook his head. "Guys, I don't think the Brachiosaurus was the one making that noise," he said louder, trying to get everyone's attention.</p><p>Sammy put a hand on his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "But what would be causing—"</p><p>
  <em>Boom, boom, boom!</em>
</p><p>The campers craned their necks over the railing, desperate to see where the noise was coming from, as the Brachiosaurus hadn't moved from where it was munching happily on the tree.</p><p>With a piercing cry, the Brachiosaurus suddenly crashed to the ground, seemingly dragged down by something much larger than itself.</p><p>Darius couldn't believe his eyes. Why had the dinosaur just fallen over? What was wrong with it?</p><p>The strained cries of two small shapes on the ground caught his attention. He looked down to see two Jurassic World employees running toward the lookout tower, waving their arms frantically. They were screaming something, but the campers were up too high for Darius to make anything out. Whatever they were yelling couldn't be good though, since they looked mad. Great, he was definitely being sent home now. Dave and Roxie's note had made it clear they were supposed to stay inside the camp's treehouse. <em>Don't leave under any circumstances</em>, he remembered the note saying specifically. Oops.</p><p>Kenji appeared at Darius' shoulder, apparently recovered from his trip up the stairs. He leaned over the railing and cupped his hands to his mouth. "You're going to have to speak up," he yelled down at the workers, clearly not taking them seriously.</p><p>The workers suddenly stopped yelling and turned away from the lookout tower, gazing in fear at the tree line. The trees seemed to part, but at first there was nothing there. Darius blinked, not believing his eyes. Why were the trees moving on their own?</p><p>A split second later, a huge dinosaur seemed to melt from the trees, barreling toward the two workers rooted to the ground in fear. The carnivore seemed to have camouflage or something similar, since Darius hadn't been able to differentiate it from the trees until it stepped into the clearing.</p><p>He paled, looking around at the other campers to see similar expressions of shock and fear on their faces. What the heck was that thing? Why was it on the loose? How did it even exist in the first place?</p><p>With an ear-splitting roar, the dinosaur pounded toward the poor employees, who turned to run with nowhere to go. Faster than Darius could even follow with his eyes, the dinosaur snapped up the closer employee, his scream instantly cut off by the crunch of bones breaking between the dinosaur's teeth.</p><p>The dinosaur turned and roared at the other employee, blood running down its jaws and turning the already terrifying sight into an even more gruesome spectacle. The other man tried to run toward the gate surrounding the lookout tower, but it wasn't even a contest. The dinosaur took a single step and crushed the worker's body into the ground under its massive foot. When it stepped away, nothing but a crumpled pile of flesh remained, surrounded by a crimson pond glinting in the sunlight.</p><p>Darius gaped at the carnage below him, his heart running laps in his chest. Did he really just see that? Were those employees really— dead? Screwing his eyes shut, he gripped the railing until the metal dug painfully into his skin, trying to erase the sight of the employee's squished body from his mind.</p><p>Remembering he had to keep an eye on the murderous dinosaur beneath him, Darius slowly opened his eyes, looking around at the other campers to make sure they were alright—or as alright as they could be, given the situation.</p><p>Ben whimpered behind him, grabbing onto Kenji's arm for support. The taller boy was staring open-mouthed at the ground, lost for words.</p><p>Brooklynn was crouched low on the platform, her hands over her eyes, muttering quietly. Sammy and Yaz were holding hands, looking anywhere but at the dinosaur below them.</p><p>"We're still ok," Darius whispered, trying to get the group focused. They needed to stay alert in case something even worse happened.</p><p>"At least it can't get us up here," Yaz said hesitantly. "Right?" She gazed at Sammy in confirmation, asking the question Darius had just been wondering. If the dinosaur had camouflage abilities, what other tricks was it hiding?</p><p>Another loud roar from the dinosaur caused the campers to peer over the railing. Darius forced his eyes downward, trying to avoid the employee's body on the grass. To his dismay, he saw the dinosaur staring right back at him.</p><p>Reeling back, he collapsed on the platform, not believing his eyes. The was no possible the way the dinosaur should have been able to see them all the way up there.</p><p>A screeching sound of tearing metal startled the campers, making everyone jump.</p><p>"It's past the gate!" Sammy shrieked, pointing over the railing.</p><p>Suddenly, a loud crashing noise emanated from below and the platform shook. Darius' eyes widened in shock. Was the dinosaur trying to dismantle the lookout tower?</p><p>Another bump of the platform caused the campers to lose their footing, Kenji and Ben fell to their knees while Sammy and Yaz crashed into the railing. Unfortunately, the impact had unbalanced Sammy a little too much, and the older girl flew over the railing, twisting at the last second to grip the railing with one hand.</p><p>She dangled off the side of the lookout tower, clinging on for dear life. If she let go, she would either die from the fall or get eaten by the vicious dinosaur—whichever horror got her first.</p><p>Yaz screamed and grabbed Sammy's arm, pulling the girl up enough so she could grip the railing with her other hand. Darius shot to his feet and helped Yaz get Sammy back over the railing, not wanting to be close to the edge when the next impact hit the lookout tower.</p><p>Brooklynn peeled her hands from her eyes and peered through the gap in the railing. "It's going to take the whole tower down! If we stay up here, we're definitely going to be airborne in the next few minutes!" She locked eyes with Darius, desperate for a way out.</p><p>Trying to think fast, Darius glanced around the platform. There wasn't much around them that would be useful, just some binoculars, a few leaflets on different types of dinosaurs, and— his eyes came to rest on the closet where the zip line seats were stored. <em>Bingo</em>.</p><p>Darius walked back to the railing, managing to keep his footing as another impact sent the other campers flying to the floor. He looked down, barely daring to breathe, only to see the dinosaur clawing viciously at the base of the lookout tower. There were already deep grooves etched into the metal, the supports clearly no match for the dinosaur's sharp claws. The campers had to get off the platform <em>now</em>, or they wouldn't be alive much longer.</p><p>"Guys! I have a plan!" Darius clapped to get the other campers' attention, pointing up at the zip line. They followed his gaze, realizing his plan and smiling at a way off the lookout tower.</p><p>Darius ran to the closet and pulled out the six seats that were gathered together. Separating them so the campers could hop on, he turned to gaze at the group. "What are you waiting for?"</p><p>Kenji grabbed Ben's arm and pulled him toward the seats, shoving the smaller boy in the seat closest to the edge and clicking his seatbelt in place. He stared into his eyes and asked a question he already knew the answer to. "Ready?"</p><p>Ben shook his head and looked down, gulping when he saw the dinosaur ripping into the tower.</p><p>Trying to put on a reassuring smile, Kenji put a hand on Ben's shoulder and wrapped the other hand around the pole connecting the seat to the zip line. He shoved the smaller boy with all his might off the platform, his seat zipping off toward the other tower nestled in the trees, far off in the distance, away from the dinosaur.</p><p>Kenji hopped in the next seat and clipped the seatbelt, propelling himself off the platform after Ben. Brooklynn quickly followed suit with Sammy just behind her.</p><p>Yaz clipped herself in, only to pause when the platform shook again. Darius grabbed the last remaining seat to steady himself only to see a disaster down the zip line, about halfway to the tower in the distance. The other four campers were stuck in their seats, hanging far above the jungle trees. They were swinging their arms, clearly trying to get Yaz and Darius' attention. Darius could just make out small red lights on the poles of their seats, indicating they were off the track and had locked their brakes.</p><p>Groaning inwardly, Darius looked at Yaz, who had just finished fastening her seatbelt. Feeling like this was possibly the stupidest decision of his life, he backed up toward the closet, giving himself space to get a running start.</p><p>"You're strong, right?" he called to Yaz, catching her eye as the platform leaned dangerously to the left. One more hit and it would likely be falling toward the ground.</p><p>"What?" Yaz yelled back, confusion written all over her face. Suddenly, she seemed to realize what was going on and she held up her hands. "Darius, no! It's too dangerous!"</p><p>Gritting his teeth and starting to run before he could change his mind, Darius hurtled toward Yaz. "Hold on tight!" he yelled as he hugged her as tightly as possible, propelling her seat off the platform and toward the other campers stuck on the zip line.</p><p>He and Yaz hurtled toward the group stuck halfway toward their salvation, screaming into the wind whipping past their faces. Darius held onto the older girl as tightly as he possibly could, not wanting to drop to the ground from this high up. Yaz gripped him back, her arms secured around his waist.</p><p>They both groaned as they collided with Sammy's seat, the lights on the other campers' seats turning green again as all six of them flew away from the lookout tower.</p><p>Darius let out a sigh of relief. They were actually getting away! There was no way the dinosaur would be able to track them to the landing platform or back to camp, and once they got back, they'd find Dave and Roxie, or an adult who knew what to do. Someone had to have a plan for how to handle a situation like this.</p><p>Suddenly, he and Yaz weren't so much flying forward as they were downward, straight toward the treetops. Twisting around in Yaz's grip, Darius saw—with a sinking feeling in his stomach—the lookout tower toppling to the ground, the dinosaur looking up at the platform, probably hoping to get another snack.</p><p>Darius shifted his eyes from the lookout tower to the zip line, which had lost its tension and was now falling along with the tower, bringing the campers down with it. Being strapped into the seats was now a hazard, since they were heavy and falling fast and hard toward the trees, which were hurtling closer with each passing second.</p><p>Closing his eyes, Darius held onto Yaz with all his might and braced himself for impact. This was going to hurt.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update this fic, but now that I've finished my other post-s2 jwcc fic, I'm back to working on this one. That means I'll be updating this a lot more frequently :)</p><p>Comments and kudos are appreciated, please let me know how you liked the chapter! &lt;3</p>
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